Down River: A Novel

Written by John Hart

Narrated by Scott Sowers

The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning novel with from an author whose "prose is like Raymond Chandler's, angular and hard" (Entertainment Weekly).

Adam Chase has spent the last five years in New York City trying to erase his worst memories and the scorn and abandonment of his family. Then a phone call from his best friend awakens in him a torrent of emotion and pain. Having left North Carolina and its red soil for good, he never thought returning would be easy—but being remembered as a murderer doesn't help much. Adam is beaten, accosted, and hostilely confronted by his family, including Grace, the young woman whose abandonment torments him still.

Then people start turning up dead.

Within this small Southern town, John Hart explores the lengths to which people will go for money, family, and pure greed—and whether or not forgiveness is ever attainable.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Oct 2, 2007
• ISBN: 9781427201942

John Hart

John Hart is the New York Times bestselling author of The King of Lies, Down River, The Last Child, Iron House, Redemption Road, and The Hush. The only author in history to win the Edgar Award for Best Novel consecutively, John has also won the Barry Award, the Southern Independent Bookseller’s Award for Fiction, the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, and the North Carolina Award for Literature. His novels have been translated into thirty languages and can be found in more than seventy countries.

Reviews for Down River

[meadowmist_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mystery, Suspense, Murder.....loved this book....lots of surprises at the end. :)Adam Chase returns to North Carolina after five years and his acquittal of murder.Little does he know that his troubles haven't disappeared and the mysteries of family members and friends is overwhelming.He finds things out that he never knew...most of them not good. The characters pull you in and make you want to keep reading to find out what makes them "tick," what they are about, and what they are experiencing.Excellent writing...I want to read more of his books.

[joannemonck · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Love and murder. A totally dysfunctional family. A son accused of murder and set free. He is hated by the entire town and leaves for several years. Another murder upon his return. Well done interaction between relatives and wanting to love but also hate.

[brokenangelkisses · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How far would you go to protect your family?Could you forgive those who have wronged you? And even if you could, can you ever truly go home?Billed as a novel for those who enjoy books by Raymond Chandler and John Grisham, John Hart's second book, 'Down River', is a dark and atmospheric trip into the heart of North Carolina - and the world of an increasingly dysfunctional family.What's it about?Adam Chase has had a hard life. His mother died in traumatic circumstances when he was young; years later he was accused of a violent murder he didn't commit. Despite being acquitted, the inhabitants of his home town - including his stepmother - persist in believing that Adam got away with murder.When a phone call forces him to remember everything he left behind, Adam reluctantly returns home only to find that murder seems to stalk him. Within days the local police are seeking to arrest him again and it seems only Adam can find the true killer...What's it like?Fast-paced. Entertaining. A little cliched.From the moment Adam returns he's swept back into old feuds and relationships. It seems almost every man wants to punch him out and almost every woman wants to kiss him - except his stepmother, who refuses to even see him.Adam is tough. The local men are equally tough and their hobbies seem to be guns, gambling problems and hard drinking. When Adam reflects on his time on remand, his attitude is typically masculine:'I had three fights in the first week. It took a broken hand and a concussion to earn my place in the pecking order. I wasn't at the top, not even close, but judgement had been made. 'Tough enough to be left alone. 'So, yeah, I remembered.'While I have no problem with tough guys I did find Adam's relationship with ex-flame Robin quite frustrating. She's furious he left; he blames her for not joining him; despite all this, she still wants to jump his bones; then she has to agree to prioritise him above her own needs and her career in order for them to be together. Because that's what a woman in love with a Man does. (There's a very twentieth century feel to this book!)Final thoughtsThis is classic gritty southern gothic. Everyone has secrets and there's plenty happening to keep the twists coming thick and fast. The final reveal came as a surprise to me and I really liked the misdirection Hart employs. There's a strong sense of lives lived under pressure, high stakes and disintegrating neighbourhoods. The family tensions are convincing and, although I saw a major plot twist coming long before Adam, there's plenty of threads to keep readers intrigued.An easy, entertaining and atmospheric read, which may make you question America's gun laws.

[gmmartz · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

'Down River', John Hart's 2nd novel, was quite a disappointment. Based on literary awards he'd won (one of which was for this book), I expected much, much better. What I experienced, though, was well-written in a technical sense but riddled with cliches, melodrama, and really poor dialogue. In fact, about halfway through (as I was trying to decide whether or not to bail on it) I came to the conclusion that Down River was an attempt to write a television series (a la "Dallas") in novel form. Dysfunctional family? Check. Good brother? Check. Bad Brother? Check. Big money at stake? Check. Lots of mayhem? Check. Oil wells? Whoops, missed that one...... Convoluted ending? Check....Methinks my expectations were too high. I thought I was getting a 'literary' thriller, when what I read was a made-for-TV script.

[maneekuhi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't know what took me so long before I finally read a John Hart book. I knew he had a solid rep, had won an Edgar, was a popular writer. Maybe I thought he'd be too slow, or too literary, maybe too serious in plot and themes - but he was not. Anyway, I finally did it; read "Down River" and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will soon be reading more John Hart. This book has a a rather basic plot - our protagonist Adam returns home after being away for a number of years, and not everybody greets him with open arms and hearts. We gradually learn what happened, and why many think he was guilty of a serious crime when he left. Upon his return, his family is still one of the richest in the area; his dad owns a huge farm, and a power company wants it to built a nuclear plant since it abuts a big enough river to support a nuclear facility. An outcome that would enrich the lives of all - some looking forward to enrichment in their pockets, others fear enrichment of uranium. Then there's the family. Where to start....perhaps the stepmother who five years ago in court accused Adam of murdering her daughter's boyfriend. And the step-brother who is deeply in debt to the wrong people. And that's for starters. There are also two attractive, passionate young women with strong feelings for Adam even though he has not been in touch with either since leaving. But we must eliminate one them from the chase because......And then there's a couple of murders. Guess who's the primary suspect?A great, twisty story well told with a very satisfactory ending. Laid out very well such that you don't have to have detail upon detail in the last 50 pages to explain all the connections that tie everything together - a sign of a very good, practiced author. Kudos, John Hart.

[npjacobsen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you are an adrenaline junkie, "Down River" is not the book for you. If you are looking for a mystery with layers peeled away like the skin of an onion while learning more about the main characters with each layer unfurled, then this offering by John Hart is right up your alley. This book is what I would consider a character driven mystery, and while we learn more about the character, the tumblers to solve the mystery drop into place.The story begins as Adam Chase drives back into his home town in Rowan County, North Carolina. We learn that Adam has not been there for five years, that he has not even been in contact with anyone there - not even his main squeeze Robin Alexander, who has worked her way up to detective on the small police force. We come to find out that the reason Adam left was a murder trial in which he was the defendant, acquitted but none the less considered guilty by most of the town - including his step mother who testified against him. This latter fact caused a rift between Adam and his father Jacob, a rift Adam did not see as being able to be mended.The reason Adam returned to Rowan county was a cryptic message from Danny Faith, one of Adam's oldest and dearest friends. Adam almost did not return, but in the end felt he owed it to Danny. He had not been in town 24 hours when he had a run in with Danny's father Zebulon, who not only felt Adam was guilty of murder, but also felt the wealth of the Chase family was the reason Adam did not go to jail. After an ambulance ride to the emergency room, Adam was picked up by Robin, who let him know she was over him and the offer of her apartment did not come with any fringe benefits. Adam, however, was not able to locate Danny Faith and was told he went to Florida to hide from an assault and battery charge from his ex-girlfriend.But it seemed as if Adam's presence dug up some all to fresh memories, despite the five year interlude. Not long after his inglorious return to his childhood home, a severe beating there had him under police suspicion once again. Later, a body is found, and the local sheriff was out to implicate Adam. Things surely did not look good for him. Add into the mix that half the town wanted Jacob to sell 1400 acres to the power company for a new plant to be built, and the town was boiling over with accusations and hatred. But the worse things got for Adam, the deeper he dug. And just when you thought you might have figured out the mystery, another layer was peeled away and you were back to square one.I really enjoyed this book. It is not every author that could pull this story off the way John Hart did. I really wanted things to turn out right for Adam (not saying they didn't) and became frustrated with him at times, especially for his inability to control his temper. It is not every novel that can keep me invested in the experiences of the characters, but "Down River" did this and more. I recommend this to any mystery buff who is looking for something a little bit different.

[squeakychu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was visiting North Carolina in the past, when I requested of a book store owner to recommend an in-state author. John Hart was his recommendation, and The Last Child was the book. I returned to North Carolina and wanted to read another book by the same author so I picked up Down River, Hart's debut novel. What a strong novel this turned out to be!The story is of Adam Chase, a man acquitted of murder, who returns to his home town of Salisbury, North Carolina, because his long-time friend Dennis Faith, requested his help. Back in his home town, he cannot locate Dennis, but meets up once again with his father, his step-mother Janice and his twin step-siblings Jamie and Miriam. When Adam encounters his friend Dennis dead, all fingers again point to Adam Chase as the murderer. The truth comes out in a long, twisty, engaging tale of family secrets. I couldn't guess the outcome, and I wonder if other readers can.This story was so skillfully told that it had me buying another book by this author before I reached this book's conclusion.

[auntieknickers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

William Faulkner, another Southern writer, said, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." Adam Chase, the protagonist of Down River, learns that the hard way when he returns to his North Carolina home after a five-year absence. It doesn't completely surprise Adam that he doesn't get the warmest welcome -- he left after being acquitted of a brutal murder, but there are still many townspeople who believe him guilty. Even those who are essentially glad to see him are still resentful of his abrupt departure.Then there are more troubles -- the boyhood friend whose phone call brought Adam home seems to be missing, and a young woman who lives on the Chase farm is brutally attacked. Adam is both suspect and investigator, aided by Robin, his old girlfriend who is a local police detective.I'd term this an excellent example of the Southern Gothic genre. It has all the hallmarks -- family dysfunction, mysteries out of the past, and violence ready to break out at any minute. I'm not sure who the other nominees were, but I'd find it hard to quarrel with Down River's selection as Edgar Best Novel of 2008. Then again, my husband absolutely hated it. Give it a try and see what you think.

[jacki_73 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Adam Chase has a violent streak, and for good reason. As a boy, he saw things no child should witness, suffered wounds that left him misunderstood. Even grown, he remains dangerous and unpredictable, so that when he narrowly beats a murder charge, he’s hounded out of town, exiled for a sin he did not commit. For five long years, he disappears. But now he’s back, and no one knows why. Attacked within hours of his return, the tone of his homecoming is set. As bodies turn up and the town rises in anger, Adam again finds himself in the fight of his life.

[jepeters333 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Adam Chase has spent the last five years in New York City trying to erase his worst memories and move on with a new life. When he left North Carolina and its red soil, it was supposed to be for good. Now he must return, but being remembered as a murderer isn't making his homecoming any easier.

[deargreenplace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable thriller about Adam Chase, a 28 year-old who returns to his home town five years after being acquitted of a murder on his family's large farm and a trial in which his stepmother was the main witness for the prosecution.Unfortunately for Adam, trouble follows, and he soon find himself under suspicion all over again.This book kept me reading, there are sufficient players in the story to keep you guessing and it's well-written for the most part (though a bit florid in some places when it doesn't need to be). The variety of secrets and relationships are interesting too, but I was left feeling that the author tried just a little too hard?

[justablondemoment · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book blew me away and the author is fast becoming one of my favorites. I was totally caught up in the lives of the characters and found myself wanting to throw myself into there lives and shake a couple of them by the roots of there hairs,give a few black eyes and gather a couple of them into a "it's gonna be okay" hug. Well written and completely edge of the seat all the way through till the end.

[mathenam_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

John Hart has become one of my new favorite authors. I absolutely love the beautiful way that he writes, which is rare in the suspense/mystery genre. Of his four titles, this is not my favorite, but I still enjoyed it. It was a bit slower paced than his newer novels. The story revolves around Adam, and his family. There has been a falling out, and Adam has been gone for the past five years. When he returns home, several bodies surface, and Adam is trying to figure out how the people he used to know are involved. It is a great story of family and how you can grow apart and lose touch. It is also about trust, and having to choose between loved one's.

[brian_irons_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

John Hart became one of my new favorite authers with this exciting thriller. Twists and turns with every turn of the page. 

[adithyajones · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It is a good one..Pace is little bit slow,but picks up towards the end..But I feel it is not worthy of an Edgar award..

[candyh_64 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderfully written and an excellent read.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you are looking for a strong, plot-driven mystery with lush descriptive phrases set in a moody southern atmosphere, chock full of family secrets, revenge, and loyalty, then Down River by John Hart could be the book for you.Adam Chase returns to his Northern Carolina home some five years after being acquitted of murder and tossed from his family. His stepmother was the prosecution’s star witness. His step-brother and step-sister don’t seem all that thrilled to see him, and his father appears to want everyone to just forget what happened in the past. He returns to help a friend, but also he longs to put things right with his family again. Almost from the first minute of his return things start to go wrong, and when Adam discovers a corpse, he comes to the realization that things will never be right again until all the family secrets are revealed.John Hart combines good story-telling with excellent character development. Each character has his own distinct identity, and the story flows smoothly. I really liked that this book didn’t end with everything wrapped up neatly. As in real life, there were some ragged ends, hurt feelings, and family obstacles to overcome. The author took his time with this story, slowly putting each piece in place, until the end, which came quickly and kept me glued to the page. All in all, a very good story.

[techeditor_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Without giving away too much of the story, I'll say that John Hart's Down River centers on a young man, Adam, who had been accused of murder five years before, was acquitted, moved out of town for five years, and is now back in his hometown. I won't say why because that's one of the mysteries that makes the book enjoyable.Back in Adam's hometown are his father, a very, very rich farmer, who owns millions of dollars worth of farmland; his stepmother, who testified against him at his trial five years before; his stepbrother and stepsister, twins; his father's best friend and foreman of the farm and the "grandaughter" he is raising; some of the townspeople, including the police, who remember and hate Adam; and Adam's former lover. All these lives, we learn, are entwined.Half the town wants Adam's father to sell his farmland to a power company; some want it desperately because it means money for them. Adam's stepmother still resents him, probably hates him. The stepbrother and stepsister don't hate him but they each have serious issues that have affected Adam in ways that the reader will come to see. And the reader will find mystery upon mystery upon mystery with all the characters.Down River is a mystery and thriller, but it's more than that. I loved this book.My words aren't adequate to describe how good this book is. Do yourself a favor and read it.

[tyllwin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hart has produced a fairly taut book here, outlining his characters in terse prose. It's a story of violence among a dysfunctional North Carolina family and the circle they move in. The story holds your interest, but I do have sort of a problem with the book: the characters aren't all that fleshed out. As Adam, the protagonist, goes from place to place asking questions, neither he nor the characters he interacts with ever have much space to become three-dimensional. Too many people are just cut-outs there to serve one plot function, or represent one trait. I'm also a bit put off that among all these hard bitten old Southerners, there's precious few of them that actually have to spend much time working at anything. On the positive side, along with the pacing he does a pretty good job of evoking a sense of the place.

[woka_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

yet again a addictive read. What twists and turns "chase" faces

[jlparent · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not nearly as good as "The Last Child", but still a decent suspense read.

[jayne_charles_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I expected this to be a quick read, given that the back cover mentions 'people turning up dead'. Apart from conjuring up the image of a corpse in a taxi, it led me to suppose it's one of those page-turning thrillers. It is, in a way, but what a slow and tortuous read. It was like listening to a pub bore droning on and on; the author is not particuarly creative with language, and when he tries to be it doesn't really work (at one point a building is described as having 'windows as narrow as a woman's face'. Eh? Clearly he never saw mine before the diet.)The plot centres around the return of narrator Adam Chase to his home town five years after he was driven out, after being falsely accused of murder. He's a prickly type, and you wouldn't want to risk spilling his pint. Many of his acquaintances and family have a tendency towards violence, and in the early stages barely a page goes by without the crunch of knuckle on nose, but even the speed of the action could not lift this out of mediocrity. Add in a family 'secret' that a blind man on a galloping horse could spot a mile off, and I reckon you've got a bit of a turkey.

[miccosukee_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Like chewing the same piece of gum for three days.

[jim53_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Adam Chase returns to Salisbury, NC, five years after being acqu9itted of murder but exiled by his father. There is a lot going on inside Adam, and he has a lot of unfinished business to attend to. His old flame, Robin, hs become a hard-core detective; his friend Danny, who had urged him to come back, is missing. Then there is his father, and the stepmother who testified against him five years ago... a lot to deal with. When a teenaged girl with whom he had a special relationship is attacked, Adam is a suspect, and must work to clear himself of the assault as well as other crimes, all the while dealing with the assumption that he is guilty not only of these new incidents, but also in th emurder for which he was acquitted. In the process of defending himself and those he loves, Adam unravels an improbable collection of secrets about his familoy and neighbors.Hart does a wonderful job of creating tension immediately and keeping it at a high pitch. The pace at which he reveals different facts is very well managed. Adam is a mostly credible character, whose fate we care about, although he does charge into situations with little forethought. His loyalty to his friends is admirable, his difficulty in dealing with his family understandable. His father is well drawn as well. Overall a very satisfying mystery, and a bit more.

[gary10_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read all three of Hart's current novels, this one last. I liked this one least--maybe because it was nto as well done, maybe because Im getting burned out. Plot does have interesting twists and turns but I am growing weary of the main character who sometimes makes things worse by blundering into situations with more violence than is necessary.

[crazy4reading · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

WOW was my reaction to John Hart's novel Down River. I found myself reading this book when I should have been doing my job and cleaning the house. I just couldn't put the book down. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time that I read this book. Down River is a mystery book that is different then what I have read in the past. The main character, Adam Chase was acquitted 5 years ago for a murder he did not commit. Adam is exiled by his family and the population of Rowan County after his acquittal and he doesn't want to go back when he receives a call from one of his friends, Danny Faith asking him to come back. Adam had pushed his past out of his head until he received that call from Danny, begging him to come back. Adams return is one filled with many different emotions. Some people have missed him and are happy yet angry to see him back in town.No sooner is Adam in town and dead bodies start showing up again so everyone begins to ponder what is happening again in their town. Everyone believes Adam is the one who has committed the murders. The cops, judges and even some family members think he is responsible for the past murder and the new ones that happen in Down River. The twists and turns in the pages of this story kept me trying to figure out who was the murderer. I have to admit that I would read a chapter and then try to figure out who dunnit. I was pleasantly surprised by the actual ending and will be thinking about this book for awhile.Looking for a wonderful mystery to read then I recommend Down River by John Hart!!

[zweven · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Being a n Edgar winner, my expectations were high. While I appreciate John Hart's flow of words in his writing, this book just didn't thrill me. It was one of those books that you feel you should finish, but it sits there and you read a chapter or two every now and then. The plot was ok. Nothing spectacular or wow about it though. What I think my main problem with the book is, is that I just didn't care about the main character. He had his problems, and for good reason, but I just wasn't made to care. I'm giving this a high mark for the quality of the writing: the flow, the descriptions (not overly flowery or wordy...to the point), but taking away for the plot.

[vikk_6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What made me pick up a novel by John Hart? The strength of his writing; it's on every page, every paragraph. I recently spent an hour or two combing the book stacks at Borders looking for something to read and getting increasingly frustrated as I picked up and put down book after book after book. After an hour or so I picked up his most recent book, THE LAST CHILD. On page after page, I found writing that was shot through with strength and sentences that exuded a certain confidence. I'd finally found what I was looking for. I now own several novels by Hart. I chose DOWN RIVER first and John Hart delivered. I simply didn't want to put the book down. What is amazing is that DOWN RIVER is written in the first person and I don't read first person books. I did when I was in my teens but for a long time now I simply put the books down when I see the first person viewpoint. John Hart somehow managed to write a first person book that never made me conscious that it was first person until I finished the final page. The writing may have grabbed me but the storytelling never let me loose long enough to wonder about the mechanics. This was a really great read, and I am eager to read the rest of Hart's work.

[she_climber · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was recommended this book by a friend and it was an Edgar Award Winner, but I have to say I wasn't terribly impressed. The characters got very old, as I got tired of hearing the reason secrets couldn't be shared is it was either "personal" or "none of your damn business". I think the plot was very complex had a lot of potential if the author hadn't taken the easy way out on pulling the reader along.

[thoughtsofjoylibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Adam Chase returns home to Salisbury, North Carolina, after 5 years of trying to forget his past. The homecoming was not welcoming and Adam continues to feel the hate. A murder in the community is where the hatred stems - Adam was accused and acquitted, but the community has not forgotten or forgiven. He also discovers many changes in his family and friends - some devastating and some heartwarming.This Southern story is one that I saw play out before my eyes - just like a movie, right from the start. I was very engrossed and could picture it all. Hart knows the South and he tells it well. My only complaint is that it was a tad bit soap opera-ish. (4.25/5)Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..."